Corporate Media Whores Strike Again: Panama Leak | Mossack Fonseca Papers

Article SOURCE https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/04/corporate-media-gatekeepers-protect-western-1-from-panama-leak/ Corporate Media Whores Strike Again:  Panama Leak | Mossack Fonseca Papers SOURCE https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/04/corporate-media-gatekeepers-protect-western-1-from-panama-leak/ Corporate Media Gatekeepers Protect Western 1% From Panama Leak 54 3 Apr, 2016 Whoever leaked the Mossack Fonseca papers appears motivated by a genuine desire to expose the system that enables the ultra wealthy to hide their massive stashes, often corruptly obtained and all involved in tax avoidance. These Panamanian lawyers hide the wealth of a significant proportion of the 1%, and the massive leak of their documents ought to be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately the leaker has made the dreadful mistake of turning to the western corporate media to publicise the results. In consequence the first major story, published today by the Guardian, is all about Vladimir Putin and a cellist on the fiddle. As it happens I believe the story and have no doubt Putin is bent. But why focus on Russia? Russian wealth is only a tiny minority of the money hidden away with the aid of Mossack Fonseca. In fact, it soon becomes obvious that the selective reporting is going to stink. The Suddeutsche Zeitung, which received the leak, gives a detailed explanation of the methodology the corporate media used to search the files. The main search they have done is for names associated with breaking UN sanctions regimes. The Guardian reports this too and helpfully lists those countries as Zimbabwe, North Korea, Russia and Syria. The filtering of this Mossack Fonseca information by the corporate media follows a direct western governmental agenda. There is no mention at all of use of Mossack Fonseca by massive western corporations or western billionaires – the main customers. And the Guardian is quick to reassure that “much of the leaked material will remain private.” What do you expect? The leak is being managed by the grandly but laughably named “International Consortium of Investigative Journalists”, which is funded and organised entirely by the USA’s Center for Public Integrity. Their funders include Ford Foundation Carnegie Endowment Rockefeller Family Fund W K Kellogg Foundation Open Society Foundation (Soros) among many others. Do not expect a genuine expose of western capitalism. The dirty secrets of western corporations will remain unpublished. Expect hits at Russia, Iran and Syria and some tiny “balancing” western country like Iceland. A superannuated UK peer or two will be sacrificed – someone already with dementia.  [Comment:  ... LOL] The corporate media – the Guardian and BBC in the UK – have exclusive access to the database which you and I cannot see. They are protecting themselves from even seeing western corporations’ sensitive information by only looking at those documents which are brought up by specific searches such as UN sanctions busters. Never forget the Guardian smashed its copies of the Snowden files on the instruction of MI6. What if they did Mossack Fonseca database searches on the owners of all the corporate media and their companies, and all the editors and senior corporate media journalists? What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on all the most senior people at the BBC? What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on every donor to the Center for Public Integrity and their companies? What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on every listed company in the western stock exchanges, and on every western millionaire they could trace? That would be much more interesting. I know Russia and China are corrupt, you don’t have to tell me that. What if you look at things that we might, here in the west, be able to rise up and do something about? And what if you corporate lapdogs let the people see the actual data? SOURCE https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/04/corporate-media-gatekeepers-protect-western-1-from-panama-leak/ ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Wow, another leak ...  Only we don't get to see this one & the controlled media will cherry pick, just using the information to target the ruling Western oligarchy handmaiden-enforcer governments' official, designated enemies. Vlad can do no wrong in my eyes and neither can Russia. Look at what the Western crooks have been up to over the last 70 years:  exploitative capitalist agenda wars; illegal wars; invasions; murder of millions; enforcing crippling, murderous sanctions; dropping depleted uranium bombs; dropping atomic weapons; serial CIA coups;  serial regime change; serial destruction of entire countries; mass surveillance of entire countries, including their own; decades of CIA collusion with corporate media; CIA funding political parties in sovereign countries; non-stop corporate media & CIA propaganda; Western censorship & political policing violations (including rape of activist women by undercover police, Britain);  Western murder of political dissidents (USA); British government refusal  to execute arrest warrants for (alleged) war criminals allied to the West (Israelis), but politically persecuting Aussie journalist-publisher, Assange, held in arbitrary detention in violation of international laws, and held WITHOUT CHARGE for over five and a half years. I left out the Americans unsigning themselves from the Rome Statute, and therefore out of the reach  of the International Criminal Court, so that they cannot be held to account for the WAR CRIMES THEY AND THEIR ALLIES (YES, THEY'RE COVERED, TOO) HAVE COMMITTED & INTEND TO COMMIT IN FUTURE; the Americans blackmailing aid and trade dependent nations to grant Americans immunity from being held accountable for commission of war crimes; the Americans passing into law that they SHALL USE MILITARY FORCE against any nation that seeks to bring their citizens (or allies!  ... hello?) before international courts of law (meanwhile these same war criminal hypocrites and liars target Serbian politicians, in propaganda spectacles to distract from their own illegal bombings and war crimes -- the scum). The Guardian's pathetic, and so is that phony warmonger US oligarchy funded International Consortium of Whore Journalist. What kind of idiot leaks anything to the mainstream media or its representatives? Hello ... anyone remember what happened to Israeli nukes whistleblower:  Mordechai Vanunu? Bet this isn't even a real leak: it's probably a CIA offering to shape public opinion.

The Kitchen - Risotto

The Kitchen Risotto Click to Enlarge ---------------------- ---------------------- Nice.  Easy.  Large pot for left-overs.  Any recipe would do.  This was just from memory. Bacon, onion, garlic, mushroom, spinach, white wine Risotto (fennel seeds, paprika, small amount of tomato paste, loads of pepper + loads of grated Parmesan cheese ... and knobs of butter at the end). Two small errors: 1.  giving mushrooms a whizz in food processor; & 2.  soaking rice. Both lead to a loss of texture. Didn't like the size of the pre-sliced mushroom slices, but it might have been better to let them be.  Normally, I use whole mushrooms and cut them up how I want. Usually don't soak the rice, but I did this time. If I do again, it will be for no more than 10 mins or so. Definitely no mushing up mushrooms planned for next time:  texture needed. Not a disaster.  Tastes really good.  Just prefer more texture.

Bohemia to Sumer via Iran & Back

[NOTE:  ALL INFO FROM WIKIPEDIA SITE, UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED /  *SOME WIKIPEDIA URL ENTRIES MAY NOT BE LISTED] BOHEMIA Bohemia (+ Bavaria) -- named after Boii -- Boii large Celtic tribe -- known to Romans (migrations & settlement in northern Italy & other) -- another part of Boii Celtic tribe moves west -- west moving Boii with Helvetti (Gallic, Swiss region) move into southern France -- this led to Julius Caesar Gaulish campaign of 58 BC -- mass movement of Helvetii & Boii left southern Germany & Bohemia -- SEVERELY DEPOPULATED - lightly inhabited 'desert' -- Suebic tribes arrive, speaking Germanic languages -- become dominant over remaining Celtic groups -- name referred to by Roman Tacitus & Strabo: Boiohaemum -- 'Boii' after Celtic tribe -- 'Heim' Germanic for 'home' -- thus: Boii-home -- south east in Hungary were: Sarmatians tribes SARMATIANS -- large confederation of proto-Iranians / Central Asia 2000 BC -- peak expansion 1000 BC, from: -- Iranian Plateau -- entire Eurasian Steppe -- Great Hungarian Plain (west) -- Ordos Plateau (east) WESTERN IRANIAN PERSIAN EMPIRES -- dominated much of ancient world at this period -- left important cultural legacy -- Eastern Iranian nomads of steppe, role in development Euraisan nomadism & Silk Route ANCIENT IRANIAN PEOPLES -- Alans -- Batricians -- Dahae -- Massagetae -- Medes -- Khwarezmians -- Parthians -- Saka -- Sarmatians -- Scythians -- Sogdians -- other: Central Asia, Caucasus, Eastern Europe & Iranian Plat. -- 1000 AD, Western Iranian tribes area of settlement -- reduced by Slavic, Germanic, Turkic & Mongol expansions -- + subject of Slavicisations -- Iranian tribes: -- balochs, Kurds, Gilaks, Lurs, Mazanderanis, Ossetians, Pashtuns, -- Pamiris, Persians, Tajiks, Talysh, Wakhis & Yaghnobis -- Iranian - 'Aryana' (Old Iranian ethnicity) -- from Sanskrit - 'Arya' -- 'Iran' is from: 'Aryanam (lit. '(Land) of the Aryans' -- proto-Indo-Rianian: 'Arya' - 'hospitable' (self referential) -- anor meaning: 'noble' (see Avesta) -- homeland estimated: -- Herat (Pliny view) - Pliny the Elder, Roman empire philosopher & friend of e. Vespasian - army entry / son of equestrian - took part in the Roman conquest of the Chauci (ancient Germanic tribe) - plus other entries -- entire expanse of Iranian Plateau (Strabo) - Greek geographer, philosopher, historian -- b. Pontus (in what is now Turkey) -- extensive travels / moved Rome age 21 -- 'Iranian' is distinct from 'Iran' state in academic usage -- citizens of Iran are not necessarily of the Iranian peoples -- 'Aryan' - Old Iranian term - solely re ethnicity -- name 'Arya' lives in ethnic names: eg Alan, Ossetian (Ir + Iron) -- name 'Iran' in usage since Sasanid times http://sasanika.org/ SASSANID Empire - 224–651 -- succeeded Parthian Empire -- known to these peoples as 'Ērānshahr' in Middle Persian lang. -- peak of ancient Iranian civilization -- considerable influence on Roman culture in Sasanian period -- influence reached: Western Europe, Africa, China, India Knowledge | Culture -- what later was referred to as 'Islamic culture' in art, architecture, music & other -- was transferred from Sasanids to Muslim-conquered regions -- so it is in fact Iranian culture, art etc. -- & the Saudis Arab conquering rulers    (or their later pan-ethnic Arab-speaking Arab empire subjects) -- credited instead of the Iranians (Persians) more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasanian_Empire Iranian | Persian Sassanid Empire Give back Yemen!! [maps] PERSIA / IRAN Arab Conquest --  632-634:  Arabia Peninsula conquered & converted by Arab armies -- 635 AD:  Christian province Syria falls to Arab armies -- 636 AD:  Antioch falls to Arab armies -- 638 AD:  Jerusalem falls to Arab armies, after 1 year siege   -- 637 AD:  Persia falls Arab armies -- Battle of Kadisiya, close to Euphrates -- 637 AD:  Arabs sack Ctesiphon (Persian) -- 641 AD:  Arab armies defeat Persians at Nahavand -- 642 AD:  Arab armies capture Isfahan -- 643 AD:  Arab armies capture Herat   -- Persia now under Umayyad Caliphate (for next century) Zoroastrian Parsees  -- Last Sassanian emperor 5 years old -- Assassinated at 651 AD (at Merv)  -- Parsees number years from start of his reign (632 AD) Conversion majority  Iran / Persia / by, say, 937 AD -- x3 centuries after Arab invasion & conquest of Persia -- majority convert to religion of new ruling caste (the Arabs)  Zoroastrian Parsees -- Zoroastrians seek liberty:  move to India, Gujarat -- Zoroastrians established in India as ‘Parsees’ (Persian for ‘Persians’) -- remaining few Zoroastrians in Iran in remote cities (Yazd, Kerman) -- known to Arabs as ‘gabar’ ( infidel? ) http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=ebw   -- Sassanids:  last great Iranian empire before the Muslim conquest & conversion to Islam -- for almost 400 years, leading world power, along with -- arch rival: Roman-Byzantine Empire more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasanian_Empire ARIYA -- 'Ariya' in royal Old Persian inscriptions 1. name of language (Old Persian inscription Darius the Great, in Behistun) 2. ethnic background of Darius (inscriptions: (1) Naqsh-e-Rostam & Susa) 3. definition of God of Iranian peoples: Ahuramazda (1. Persepolis, Xerxes inscription) (2. Behistun inscription, Elamite version) INSCRIPTIONS -- Dna, Dse Dariius & Xerxes self description: -- an Achaemenian -- a Persian son -- of a Persian -- an Aryan -- of Aryan stock -- however, Darius the Great, called his language 'Iranian' language -- modern scholars refer to it as: 'Old Persian' -- because the language is ancestor of modern Persian language Old Iranian Language -- comprised of: 1. Iran, north-east Avestan (associated with sacred Zoroastrian language) 2. Iran, south-west Old Persian -- a branch of Indo-Iranain language -- Iranian languages classified either 'eastern' or 'western' -- in this classification, Avestan is eastern * 1 + 2:  together, comprising:  'Old Iranian' lang. *Old Avestan = closely related to Old Persian *Old Avestan = close to Vedic Sanskrit (some extent) *Old Avestan = believed ancestor of Pashto dialect AVESTAN 1. Old Avestan (Gathic Avestan) 2. Younger Avestan (not evolved from Old Avestan, diff. dialect) - Younger Avestan = several transformations 3rd or 4th century AD - Script Developed - Din dabrieh ('religion writing') -- re writing Avestan -- but Avestan by then EXTINCT LANGUAGE FOR MANY CENTURIES -- remaining only liturgical language of Avesta -- memorised by priesthood & recited by rote -- script defised = Din dabrieh ('religion writing') -- 53 distinct characters -- written right-to-left -- x13 "Book" Pahlavi / Pahlavi script -- in turn, based on Aramaic script symbols -- incorporates other: eg. derived from Greek / + punctuation symbols -- Avestan alphabet has one letter that has NO CORRESPONDING SOUND in Avestan lang. -- /I/ character added to write Pazend texts -- Avestan script is alphabetic (single letter = sound (not idea, word etc) -- reason being: need for phonetic precision -- Pazend = one of writing systems used for Middle Persian lang. PAZEND -- one of writing systems used for Middle Persian lang. -- used mainly for writing: commentaries (Zend) -- re Avesta (Zoroastrian sacred texts) -- derives from 'paiti zainti' ('for commentary') or similar -- Pazend = variation of Avestan alphabet (Din Dabrieh) -- unlike Pahlavi, no 'ideograms' (graphic symbols) - carrying idea, concept etc -- Pahlavi ieogams borrowed from Semitic lang, eg. Aramaic ZOROASTRIANISM -- Sassanid defeat by Muslims -- Zoroastrianism gradually supplanted by foreign Arabic religion -- Parzend lost purpose (ie Middle Persian sanctified writing) -- Parzend soon ceased to be used for composition -- late 1000 AD or 1100 AD, Indian Zoroastrians (Parsis) -- begin translating Avestan (or Middle Persian) alphabet -- interpretation = 'pa-zand' (Parzand texts) -- Pazand texts = late & often corrupt Middle Persian pronunciation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pazend -- Avestan (sacred language, Zoroastrian) associated with -- north-eastern Iran (Old Persian) PROTO-INDIAN-EUROPEAN (PIE) -- is ancestral to following languages: -- Celtic -- Italic (incl. Romance) -- Germanic -- Baltic -- Slavic -- Indo-Iranian -- Albanian -- Armenian -- Greek -- Tocharian not included: Basque Hungarian Estonian Finnish IRANIAN derived language regions: Iran (Iranian) parts of Pakistan (Balochi and Pashto) Afghanistan (Pashto and Dari) Tadjikistan (Tajiki) INDO-IRANIAN language spread: Indo-Aryan Sanskrit Urdu + many related languages AVESTA -- sacred language -- closely related to Vedic Sanskrit -- Vedic Sanskrit, oldest preserved Indo-Aryan language 1000 BC - Division into EASTERN + WESTERN -- indicated by: Avestan vs. Old Persian (south-west Iranian branch of Indo-Iranian) -- Avestan - aka 'Zend' = Iranian language of Eastern Iranian division -- used in Zoroastrian scripture -- related region: Arachosia Aria Bactria Margiana -- region area, comprising almost entirely: - AFGHANISTAN - PAKISTAN (parts) - TAJIKISAN - TURKMENISTAN - UZBEKISTAN  Distinctive art: -- 'Yaz culture' of Bactria-Margiana (parts of Afghanistan) -- Yaz culture = early Iron Age culture c. 1500 to 1100 BC -- likely indicative of early East Iranian culture, as described in Avesta -- no burials related to culture found -- taken as evidence of: Zoroastrian practice (sky burial) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaz_culture Western Iranian peoples in the Near East -- dominated by the various Assyrian empires -- subsequent alliance with: -- Medes -- Persians  + rebelling: -- Babylonians - fm. Akkad city, capital Akkadian empire -- location of Akkad is unknown -- indigenous Semitic + Sumerian united under one rule -- controlled Mesopotamia, Levant, parts Iran -- initially bilingual: Akkadian replaced Sumerian -- Sumerian 'native tongue' - lang. of Sumer (southern Mesopotamia, mod. Iraq - 3000 BC) Sumer -- first ancient URBAN civilisation southern Mesopotamia (now southern Iraq) -- poss. first settled: c. 5500 and 4000 BC -- by pre-Semitic Caucasoid / linguistically isolated Sumerian -- Sumerian: names of cities, rivers, occupations etc - show this -- language isolate = natural language / no relationship to other branches Eridu -- site of earliest city in southern Mesopotamia -- poss. oldest city in the world -- 12km southwest of Ur -- one of numerous Sumerian cities that arose around temples -- temples mud brick & built on top of one another, growing upward -- villages growing outward: larger city built -- site is near: Basra -- city associated w. temple of Enki (Sumerian water god) -- counterpart to Ea (Akkadian water god) -- potentially original Babel & site of Tower of Babel, rather than Babylon -- per Egyptologist David Rohl -- urban nucleus of Eridu: Enki temple (house of the aquifer) -- later 'house of the waters' -- period of Ur III ziggurat built over remains of previous temples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eridu -- Scythians - large group Iranian, Eurasian nomads -- Chaldeans - small Semitic nation, absorbed into Babylonia native population -- Cimmerians - poss. Thracian w. Iranian ruling class - neighbours of ancient Macedonia ALLIANCE vs. ASSYRIANS: -- helped the Medes to claim Nineveh 612 BC -- result: collapse neo-Assyrian Empire by 605 BC -- Medes establish Median kingdom -- Ecbatana - royal centre (old Persian 'place of gathering') -- city of Media, western Iran Back to Bohemia ... Bohemia -- part of early Slavic state of Great Moravia -- r. 870–894, Svatopluk I -- collapse from internal conflict -- plus nomadic Magyar invader attack -- following Svatopluk I death -- however, due to incorporation into Moravian Empire -- extensive Christianisation of population -- native monarchy rose to throne: Czech lands to be ruled -- for next several 100 years by Premyslid dynasty -- who entered into semi-vassalage to the Frankish rulers -- via 'alliance' / facilitated by Bohemia conversion to Christianity 9th C. -- close relations developed & continued with: East Frankish kingdom -- which devolved from Carolingian Empire into East Francia -- which eventually became: HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE -- 955 Battle of Lechfeld, Boleslaus I -- decisive victory Holy Roman Empire & Bohemia vs. invading Magyars -- Bohemia granted March of Moravia by German emperor Otto the Great -- under HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, Bohemia largely autonomous state -- control of Holy Roman Empire reasserted -- when Jaromir of Bohemia granted fief of Kingdom of Bohemia -- by King Henry II, Holy Roman Empire -- with promise to hold as vassal once Prague reoccupied with German army 1004 -- ending the rule of Boleslaw I of Poland Other rule: -- Luxembourg dynasty, (via marriage) circa. 1310 -- John I of Bohemia crowned -- son: Charles IV -- Charles King of Bohemia 1346 --- f. Charles University in Prague, Europe's first university -- reign of Charles IV - political & territorial peak -- Charles IV first king of Bohemia to be elected HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR - controlled: -- Moravia -- Siesia -- Upper Lusatia -- Lower Lusatia -- Brandenburg -- region near Nuremberg ('new Bohemia') -- Luxembourg -- small towns in Germany HUSSITE BOHEMIA -- 1415 Jan Hus, rector of Charles University -- religious reformer & thinker -- sentenced to be burnt at stake: heretic -- despite formal protection of Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg -- given opportunity to defend himself re Czech positions in religious court -- executed Jul. 1415 -- w/ emperor approval -- x5 consecutive papal crusades against Hus followers -- Bohemians forced to defend themselves -- rebellion & defence vs. Roman Catholics = Hussite Wars -- uprising against imperial forces led Jan Žižka (former mercenary) leader of Hussite armies -- howitzers, pistols, fortified wagons -- Žižka - great general who never lost a battle -- on death: Propkop the Great takes over as commander -- Hussites victorious another 10 years -- Europe 'terrified' -- Hussites eventually splintered into two factions - Ultraquists (compromise w. Catholic church) - Taborites (radical views) -- Taborites defeated by Ultraquists Battle of Lipany 1434 -- 1458: George of Podebrady - elected to Bohemian throne -- PROTO EUROPEAN UNION: -- attempts to set up a pan-European "Christian League" -- all states of Europe to be formed into 'community based on religion' -- due to deteriorating relationship of Podebrady with Pope -- Podebrady position 'substantially damaged' & negotiations not completed HABSBURG MONARCHY -- 1526: Archduke Ferdinand of Austria new King of Bohemia -- Bohemia constituent state of Habsburg Monarchy -- religious freedom 1453-1620 -- one of most liberal Christian countries that time -- 1609: Prague made capital of Holy Roman Empire -- oppression by Bohemian rulers (Holy Roman Emperor) re Protestant rights -- results in Bohemian Revolt -- which results in outbreak of Thirty Years' War (1618) -- Protestant eventually elected by Bohemian nobility -- ie. Frederick V -- 1620: Frederick V - killed in Battle of White Mountain -- subsequently: -- 27 Bohemian estates leaders -- Jan Jesenius, rector of the Charles University of Prague *executed on the Prague's Old Town Square *1621 and the rest were exiled *their lands were then given to Catholic loyalists (mostly Bavarian & Saxon origins) -- ended pre-reformation movement in Bohemia -- ended Prague as ruling city of Holy Roman Empire -- 1627 - 'new Constitution' - establishes German language as second official lang. of Czech lands -- Czech language spoken as first language -- both German & Latin widely spoken by ruling classes -- German becomes more dominant -- Czech spoken in rural areas CZECH LANGUAGE -- formerly known as Bohemian -- is a West Slavic language -- influenced by Latin -- 1749: official independence blocked by Bohemian Diet -- Diet approved administrative reform & affirmed: ** indivisibility of the Habsburg Empire and the centralization of rule ** meant: merging Bohemian Chancellery w. Austrian Chancellery -- end 1700s: Czech National Revival Movement -- supported by part of Bohemian aristocracy -- campaign for restoration of kingdom historic rights -- ie Czech to replace German as admin lang. -- minor concessions later restricted -- Revolution 1848: Czech nationalists call for autonomy from Habsburg Austria -- revolutionaries defeated -- last vestiges of independence dissolved -- but Czech language rebirth: 'romantic nationalism' among Czechs -- 1861 - new elected Bohemian Diet est. -- renewal of old Bohemian Crown (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia) official political agenda -- of both Czech liberal politicians + Bohemian aristocracy -- 'state rights program' -- parties representing German minority + -- small part of aristocracy -- loyalty to the centralistic Constitution (so-called "Verfassungstreue") -- 1866: Austro-Prussian War defeat of Austria -- 1867: Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 --- achieved by Hungarian politicians: creating 'equality' b/w Austria & Hungary portions of empire -- tripartate monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) attempted by Czechs, failed 1871 -- 'state rights program' remained official platform of all Czech political parties to 1918 -- *exception was the social democrats POST WWI -- Bohemia was core of newly formed: CZECHOSLOVAKIA -- combining Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, upper Hungary (now Slovakia) -- + Carpathian Ruthenia, into one state -- Tomáš Masaryk, becomes first president of Czechoslovakia -- Czechoslovakia - liberal democratic republic -- issues arise Czech majority relationship with native German & Hungarian minorities 1938 - Munich Agreement -- Sudetenland (border regions of Bohemia, historically inhabited by ethnic Germans) -- annexed to Third Reich Germany 1939 - Remnants -- remnants of Bohemia & Moravia annexed by Germany 1939 --- Slovak lands became separate Slovak republic -- described as 'puppet state' of Third Reich Germany -- 1939 to 1945 Bohemia -- *formed 'German Protectorate of Bohemia & Moravia): -- minus Sudetenland -- with Moravia -- *opposition to German occupation brutally suppressed by authorities -- *Czech dissenters executed as result -- end WWII 1945 -- vast majority of Germans -- presumably ethnic Germans? -- were expelled by order of Czech central govt -- on basis of Potsdam Agreement -- property of these Germans was confiscated by Czech govt -- result: severe depopulation of area CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1946 - Czechoslovakia Re-Established -- on basis of Potsdam Agreement -- pursuant to stipulation that region (?) be placed under 'Polish administration' -- post WWII, elected Communist party, reportedly backed by Soviet Union -- Re-established Czechoslovakia -- non-communists of govt resign in protest against 'arbitrary measures' re state institutions -- PM of coalition govt Klement Gottwald (communist) -- response = coup d'état -- pro-Soviet authoritarian state installed -- 1949: Bohemia no longer administrative top dog -- Czechoslovakia divided into admin regions -- 1949 to 1989, Czechoslovakia a 'Soviet satellite' -- note: no Soviet army present to 1968 -- 1968, the Communist Party began reforms & 'democratisation' -- "Prague Spring" reforms stopped by Warsaw Pact armies (in Aug 1968) Pope John Paul II - 1989 -- appoints 'Agnes of Bohemia' first saint from Central European country -- 'Velvet Revolution' - later that year -- dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 -- Bohemia becomes: new Czech Republic -- 1992 Constitution refers to Bohemia, Moravia & Silesia -- & proclaims continued statehood of Bohemian Crown -------/\/\/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaz_culture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasanian_Empire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pazend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eridu http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=ebw ---------------------- ---------------------- Sarmatians Iranian ppl (classical antiquity) peak:  5th C BC - 4th C AD spoke Scythian - Eastern Iranian branch Indo-European move westward move 6th C. BC closely related to Scythians came to dominate Scythians by 2nd C. BC differed from Scythians:     -- veneration of god of fire     -- woman prominent role in warfare     -- poss. inspiration for Amazons -- rather than Scythian:  god of nature -- territory known as Sarmatia (to Greco-Romans) -- now mostly modern Ukraine & Southern Russia -- part north-east Balkans, around Moldova -- 1st Century AD -- Sarmatians encroach on Roman Empire in ALLIANCE with Germanic tribes -- domiance of Pontic Steppe broken by Germanic Goths, 3rd Century AD -- during Hunnic invasions 4th C. -- many Sarmatians join Goths & other Germanic tribes (Vandals) -- moving to settle Western Roman Empire -- related peoples:  Alans, survived in North Caucasus to early Middle Ages -- gave rise to Ossetic ethnic group -- indigenous to Ossetia, speak Iranic lang. (+ Russian) -- mostly Eastern Orthodox -- politically divided:     -- North Ossettia-Alania (in Russia)     -- South Ossetia (de facto independent fm Georgia, since 2008 South Ossetia war) -- Ossettians receive name from Russian lang., which adopted Georgian designations -- & used since Middle Ages for Iranian speaking tribes -- prob. based old Alan self-designation 'As' -- terms accepted / lack of single inclusive name for selves & lang. prior to integration into Russian empire -- 1990s Ossetian nationalism dispute b/w subgroups Digoron vs. Iron re dialect of Digoron -- intellectuals then search for new inclusive ethnic name:  'Alania' popularised -- name of medieval Sarmatian confderation that Ossetians descend from Alans -- Sarmatian tribe (Scythian subgroup of Iranian ethno-ling. group) -- 200 AD Alans only branch of Sarmatians to keep culture -- post Gothic (Germanic) invasions -- built kingdom b/w Don & Volga -- 350 and 374 AD Huns destroy Alan kingdom -- but Alans survive in Caucasus  (as Ossetians) Alans Conflicts --  Ossetian-Ingush conflict - 1991–1992 --  Georgian–Ossetian conflicts - 1918, 1920, 1990s --  South Ossetia War 2008 (George / Russia) Key events described as: -- 1774:  Iran Afsharid Dynasty falls apart -- some degre integration of descendants into modern Islamic minorities -- north Ossetia = Russian empire -- 1801:  Treaty of Georgievsk -- ie.  Persia relinquishes control of South Ossetia     *South Ossetia becomes Russian Empire territory     *along with Georgia -- 1922:  Ossetia divided:         1.  North Ossetia (Russian, Soviet Rep.)         2.  South Ossetia (Georgian, Soviet Rep.) -- 1990:  South Ossetia declares independence from Georgia -- Georgia does not recognise -- ethnic tensions:     -- Ossetians vs. Georgians (South Ossetia, in abolished former auto.Oblast)     -- Ossetians vs. Ingush (in North Ossetia, violent clashes)     -- Ingush are Caucasian native ethnic group, however they have adopted Sunni religion     -- Ingush language closely related to Chechen, but *not mutually intelligible*     -- Ingush & Chechen collectively known as:  Vainakh     -- Ingush under Russian rule in 1810     -- accused of collaborating w. Third Reich Germans WWII     -- entire population DEPORTED to Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan     -- post Stalin death 1950s, returned home 1957     -- but by that time western Ingush lands ceded to North Ossetia     -- predominantly Sunni muslim       (not sure if from mixing in Kaz. & Kyrg. or Muslim conquest Iran) -- Ossetian divided into:      -- Ironian         - north Ossetia         - south Ossetia     -- Digorian         - western North Ossetia -- also subdialetcts exist -- Ossetian  =  Scytho-Sarmatian diaglect group -- closely related surviving langs:     -- Yaghnobi     -- Pashto     -- Pamiri     *all spoken over 2,000 km away in:         -- east Afghanistan         -- north-western Pakistan         -- some parts of Tajikistan -- Alans christianised by Bizantine missionaries 10th C. Ad -- Ossetians mainly under Eastern Orthodox, 12th-13thC. under infl. Georgia -- Digor in west, eventually came under Kabardian & Islamic influence -- Kabarday = east Circassian tribe -- through Kabarday Muslim religion introduced (17th C.) -- Ossetia under Russian emp. 1774, strengthening Orth. christ. -- Ossetian ethnic religion (ie the Alans / the Samatrian-Scythian, Iranian) -- many ritual traditions -- sacrificing animals -- holy shrines -- non Christian saints -- temples kown as:  kuvadon -- since 1980s, reportedly 'Ætsæg Din' ethnic religion emerging -- 'din' must mean 'religion' (per old Iranian lang. & Avesta reference to script) *** note:  as with other ethnic groups Caucasus      despite Indo-European & Iranic roots      *Ossetians = extensive intermarriage with other ethnic  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmatians [NOTE:  ALL INFO FROM WIKIPEDIA SITE, UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED /  *SOME WIKIPEDIA URL ENTRIES MAY NOT BE LISTED] COMMENT This was good to check out, but the editing has me really annoyed. Took me forever to do something simple ... grrr. I've edited the same thing about three times so far (something went haywire) and I'm sick of looking at it and tired of checking for typos. Sumerians (above) became dominated by another people that they formed an alliance with, and they got absorbed.   They no longer exist and their unique language, in a branch of its own, is dead. As for Iran, I think it's a shame that the ancient Iranian culture & religion was largely wiped out by what amounts to Saudi Arabian conquest. The ancient Iranian religion and culture seems far more interesting to me. I don't understand why peoples that are conquered and converted by those that conquered them stay converted when they finally achieve independence. I'd be throwing off what is foreign and returning to historic culture.  On the other hand, seeking independence has its draw-backs:  it is cause for ongoing conflicts and splintering of regions. It looks like what became known as the Muslim contribution to art, architecture etc, was actually appropriated and spread from Iran (Persia) by what must be the conquering Saudis (or their slave armies)?

WikiLeaks: IMF re Greece - Internal Meeting Transcript Release

WikiLeaks: IMF re Greece - Internal Meeting Transcript Release RELEASE WikiLeaks IMF Internal Meeting - Re Greece  Transcript of Meeting source:  @WikiLeaks Link to Source to read. ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Another exciting WikiLeaks release. Only I don't know what's going on, so it's sort of wasted on me.  :) It's another IMF and Greece BIG drama, for those that maybe understand finance a bit more than I do ... lol.

American Oligarchy Hybrid War on the World

American Oligarchy Hybrid War on the World SOURCE http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/putins-aide-americas-business-new-world-war/ri13692 Putin Aide Details Russia's Gameplan Against the Empire The Empire's debt casino is unsustainable and the ruling oligarchy sees war as the only way to salvage their hegemony Sergey Glaziev Subscribe to Sergey Glaziev Thu, Mar 31, 2016 Originally appeared at Lenta.ru. Translated by Julia Rakhmetova and Rhod Mackenzie The author is a prominent economist, advisor to the Russian President on regional economic integration, and the mind behind the Eurasian Economic Union Is there any reason to expect the lifting of American sanctions? The sanctions are an element of the hybrid war that the US is waging against us. They are doing this not because they do not like Russia’s ‘annexation’ of the Crimea, but because of the objective and subjective interests of the American  establishment. The US is losing its hegemony: it is already producing fewer products and exporting fewer technologies than China. China is also catching up with America in the number of scientists and engineers, and many innovative Chinese technologies are capturing world markets. China’s development rate is five times that of the US. The international system of economic entities recently set up in China exemplify the new world economic order. The economic entities that dominate in the US, serving a financial oligarchy, have destabilized the American monetary and financial system, which defaults about twice a year. The causes of the global financial crisis of 2008 have not disappeared and the American debt bubble — financial pyramids composed of derivatives and the national debt —are still growing. According to systems theory, this process cannot continue indefinitely. The American oligarchy is desperate to get rid of its debt burden, which is why it is conducting a hybrid war, not only against Russia, but against Europe and the Middle East. As always happens in a changing world economic order, the country that is losing its leadership tries to unleash a world war for control over the periphery. Since Americans consider the former Soviet space to be their financial and economic periphery, they are trying to gain control over it.   The American political establishment has been brought up on the chimeras of nineteenth century geopoliticians. American students study basic English and German geopolitical ideas of that time in political science classes.  The main question back then was how to ruin the Russian Empire, and they still look at the world through the eyes of  the XIX century ‘hawks’, when Great Britain tried to save its hegemony by starting the First World War, then lost their colonial empire after the Second World War. This is what American geopoliticians study in the State Department and the White House, continuing to look at the world through the prism of both the Cold War and British confrontations with Russia and Germany in the nineteenth century, and now the US is unleashing another world war. The combination of the objective problems of the American financial oligarchy, and the strange mindset of American geopoliticians threatens a world conflict. This has nothing to do with the Crimea. Any reason will do.   We need to act in terms of the contradictions leading the US to an aggressive stance fraught with the risk of a hybrid war with the whole world. They have chosen Russia as their main objective, and the Ukraine, occupied by them, as their main means of destruction. To survive under these conditions, maintain our sovereignty and develop our economy, we need to build a broad anti-military coalition, pursue our priority development strategy, recover our financial and economic sovereignty and pursue Eurasian integration. To prevent war, we need to realize the president’s goal of a common development area from Lisbon to Vladivostok. It is very important to convince our European partners as well as our partners in the Far East and in the South that we need to cooperate, not by blackmailing or threatening them, but through mutually beneficial projects, joining our economic potential while respecting the sovereignty of each state. Can we mend relations with the EU and how To mend cooperation with the European Union, we need to restore its sovereignty. The sight of European politicians among the crowd of Nazis at Euromaidan showed how much  European political culture has degraded. The EU leaders are not independent; they are US puppets. American media dominates Europe’s political space, embedding anti-Russian chimeras into people’ consciousness, intimidating them with a so-called Russian threat. Their politicians are forced to go with the media line provided by Washington in order to win votes. This has lead to the catastrophe we are watching today in Brussels and other European cities, which are gripped with fear as governments fail to provide security. Unfortunately, the sovereignty of Europe cannot be restored just  by booting up social consciousness. The problems did not appear out of the blue; they are the result of the European political class abandoning its national interest. Europe is facing a very difficult period of transition, during which it is not yet a partner, but Washington’s shadow. Europeans have lost their sense of direction.  They live in a mosaic, a fragmentary world that has no shared relationships. But life will force them back to reality, and I believe that eventually European democratic traditions and humanism will prevail. http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/putins-aide-americas-business-new-world-war/ri13692 ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Just as I thought:  we're all going to  be nuked. Don't know what's going on with the money thing in the US, but it's really weird. Egypt gets an annual US$1.4-billion American 'aid package', as well as 'cash flow financing' (ie extra funding, in addition to the Congress funding -- a line of credit  for buying weapons on contract from private US arms manufacturers) - NYT article 2014 here. The US government puts ordinary American taxpayers into debt so that private arms manufacturers can have contracts to fill for years to come. Where there is reason to halt financing (eg the political instability in Egypt), the US government cannot do so without causing the private American arms manufacturing businesses broken contracts, as I understand. That makes no sense to me:  the US taxpayer is subsidising private, American arms manufacturers. And the government would also be subsidising whoever the actual lender of this money is?  I'm not sure where this money's coming from when the US is in debt.  US debt clock:  here. That looks like $19-trillion?  I'm not much good with massive numbers ... but I think that's what it says. It's the poor being indebted to the rich, so that the rich can continue to get rich ... but this is a country in which the minimum wage, health care etc, are begrudged the poor. That doesn't seem right to me. Meanwhile, Europe is totally f%$#ed.  It's insane. The other day I found myself wondering if maybe Sweden was broke or something.  There's no other possible explanation for the voluntary self-destruction they're enacting. War would be crap.  Rations and censorship.

Novi Pazar

Novi Pazar [CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE] sourced from here (amazing image - I like this a lot) ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Old cemetery in Novi Pazar, Serbia. 'Novi Pazar' translates to 'New Market' in Bulgarian (but probably also other varieties of Slavic derived languages). I'm going to guess that 'Pazar' originates from 'bazaar' or similar, and that this has been adopted as a result of the history of invasion and domination by the Ottoman Turks. Word goes back to:  Persian bāzār origins in Zoroastrian Persia origins of word = Parthian language (ancient Persian / Iranian) 7th-8th century = shared word among: Kurdish Albanian Bosnian Turkish = 'pazar' Bengali Odia (eastern India) Bulgarian Macedonian Cypriot Greek Greek Hindi Hungarian So the above is where Persian influence spread OR the Persian word was imported and adopted as result of  Turkish influence, as the Balkan region was subject to invasion and Ottoman rule commencing circa. 1400s (I think).  The conquer and imposition of alien rule explains why animosities remain among those in the Balkan region. Turkish (ie Ottoman) influence of 1500s & 1600s mentioned re spread of word 'pazar': -- Indonesia -- Malaysia -- Armenia -- Georgia -- Poland -- Russia -- Ukraine -- Uzbekistan Guess it's where the Ottomans either defeated and invaded or traded. That was kind of fun.

The Kitchen - Beef Stroganoff

The Kitchen Beef Stroganoff mmm ... Click to Enlarge ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Wow, this was super quick and not too difficult. Used Jamie Oliver's grated lemon rind, brandy & paprika guide  - here. But I do my own measurements, depending on how big my cook up is etc & my preferences on the day. Instead of messing around dusting the meat, I quickly brown it and when that's done, sprinkle maybe a dessert spoon of flour on top, add small amount of paprika & cook it off some (making sure it doesn't stick), before throwing in brandy, cooking that off and then throwing in the sour cream (I used about 250g of sour cream). Used Worcestershire sauce & seeded mustard this time.  Probably use Worcester most times.  Went sick on the Worcestershire.  But I went easy on the mustard, because of the lemon in this. The flour is a thickener and I like thick sauces, so it's all good.  But if you want to break the sauce down (if it's getting too thick), just throw in some boiled pasta hot water into the pot until it's how you want it. Above are my favourite types of noodles:  they're durum wheat macaroni.  I don't know why but I really love these. Durum Wheat " ... very hard wheat with a high protein content ... milled to remove the bran and germ, leaving the rich yellow endosperm granules called semolina ... then ground into flour & used to make pasta.  Semolina granules are used for cereals and couscous."  [here] And I love all of those:  pasta, Semolina, cereal & cous cous. I didn't know they all come from the same plant. Might see if I can find/invent some variations of this:  as in some seafood & chicken variations for another couple of meals during the week, as this quick and reasonably stress-free.  ;)